I sprung up. Josiah had disappeared, but the smell of fire remained. I hurried to the winder. As I had last seen it all the great pleasure ground seemed fast asleep. Gone wuz the tread of the innumerable multitude. The music of the bands wuz hushed, the cries of the different venders and showmen, automobiles, wagons, the stiddy sound of machinery running the mechanical amusements, and the constant sound of footsteps and voices, that filled the day full, wuz all hushed. Even to the long onshapely animal house Night had brought silence. The hull place looked like a City of Dreams, only the eternal waves washin' up on the beach, seemed to emphasize the silence. But what wuz that I see over the dim ruffs? A slender spiral of flame shootin' up through the shadows, and on Dreamland tower a rosy blush seemed to grow on its whiteness. As I watched the flame, it grew larger and larger, and my heart most stopped beatin', for I knowed what a fire would mean in them unsubstantial buildin's. And somewhere there under them flimsy ruffs was my Josiah! The flame increased! Coney Island wuz afire! Made sensitive by anxiety, I had reconized the smoke borne to me on some vagrant breeze. The long elaborate dream of mine hadn't lasted a second. It wuz staged in the _real_ Dream Land, for the awful drayma so soon to be enacted there, by the terrible actor, Fire! The most fearful and tragic actor on the hull stage of life. Fire! Fire! Fire! Thus did I scream as I throwed on my clothes, I thought at the top of my voice, but I don't spoze it wuz much above a whisper, for Bildad's folks didn't hear me in the next room, through the thin wall, till I rushed to their door and knocked, cryin' out: "Bildad, git up! Josiah is afire!" "What you say?" he called back. "Dreamland is afire! Josiah is in danger! But I will save him or perish!" And I ketched up a two quart pail of water, and rushed out doors. You can't recall your exact thoughts at such a time, yet I have a ricellection of thinkin'--Josiah is small boneded, and two quarts of water might put him out if he had jest got afire. But where wuz the idol of my soul? I spoze every woman on Coney Island thought them thoughts whether she remembers it or not. Where is _he_? Will he escape? And men wuz thinkin', Where is _she_? Is she safe? Love puts the question, and Fear and Horrer answers it. As I rushed along cryin' Fire! winders wuz throwed up, doors opened, and in less time than I can tell on't, Surf Avenue wuz full of people. Frenzied cries and shouts rung through the air. And as the flames riz higher and higher, so did the shrieks and yells of the crowd, which had swelled to a mob; bells clanged, fire wagons raced and jangled. Quicker than any seen wuz ever changed at a theatre the Quiet Night wuz turned into Pandemonium. Men, wimmen and children rushin' every which way--police--firemen--fire bells clangin'--men shoutin'--wimmen shriekin'--and every minute the flames increased!